


World's Best Aunt?

by Pineprin137



Category: Original Work
Genre: Domestic, Family Feels, Fluff, Light Angst, Macaroni and Cheese is the cure, Mild Language, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-09-15 05:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16927074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pineprin137/pseuds/Pineprin137





	1. Sickness

Emily sighed when she heard the splat of macaroni and cheese hit the tiled floor. It had been a long day, too long, and the only thing she had the patience to make had been pasta. She knew that it would be a hit with all five children and there wouldn’t be too much cleanup required. The girls loved anything with cheese and Jacob still didn’t have much of an appetite after his recent flu. The older kids would be fine with anything as long as they didn’t have to make it themselves. That left herself and Ron. Ron wouldn’t be home for another two hours at least so even if he preferred something else, she would be too busy with the bedtime routine to argue with him or get offended by his refusal to eat cheesy noodles shaped like Scooby-Doo.  
She reached down and grabbed the blue plastic bowl and started to scoop the discarded pasta into one hand so she could carry it over to the sink. She gritted her teeth when she heard a timid giggle come from the highchair and left the noodles in favor of wiping cheese sauce from her cheek. Three more days. That was all she had to last. Come Saturday morning, their parents would retrieve the little monsters and then she could go back to her lazy weekends of reading on the couch with her favorite blanket and cup of warm tea. She might even work on her newest painting. It was full of vibrant colors, but there was still something missing. It was still too...chaotic.  
She knew that she didn’t have to say “yes”. She could have told her sister that they were going out of town or had plans, but she had taken one look at her little sister’s desperate pleading eyes and caved. She had agreed to take her nieces and nephews for one week. She could handle one week. Seven days. That was four days ago. Four days of chaos. There was no order. There was no serenity or peace to be had in a household filled to the brim with three toddlers, two teenagers, two adults, and one goldfish. Couldn’t forget Harold, Marie would throw a fit.  
To say it was hectic was a vast understatement. The first day had been a blatant lie. It had been the calm before the storm. Each of the kids had participated in some activity that day so there was never any moment that she had all of them at the same time. The only road bump had been bedtime, but with a few short stories and a brief tickle fight the small ones had calmed down enough to sleep. The teen boys were allowed to stay up later as long as they kept quiet. She had sunk down in the recliner and breathed a sigh of relief. She had expected it to be so much worse, but that day? The week would be a breeze. 

She had been awoken the first night by a small finger poking at her side. Once she had managed to squint into the darkness and make out Mary’s long braid, she had questioned her as gently as she could. “Mary? What’s wrong?” “Jay is sick.” It hadn’t taken long after that for the shit to hit the fan. Turns out that her fourteen-year-old nephew had contracted a stomach bug and unfortunately woken up the rest of his siblings when he didn’t quite make it to the hallway bathroom in time. She had been stuck in that tile prison with him for almost six hours while Ron was forced to attempt to calm down the two young girls and keep Eric’s sympathetic tendencies as far away from his brother’s violent purging as possible. It had been bad enough with one barely-six-foot nephew spewing his guts, she didn’t need the other one to start. 

She and Ron had tried desperately to avoid the inevitable, but the last few days had been spent cleaning vomit from a myriad of surfaces, changing endless clothing and bedsheets, running baths for sticky achy bodies, and trying to coax liquids into upset tummies. The sick children had cried and begged for their parents. They didn’t want Aunt Emily; they wanted Mommy. Jacob had been the last to succumb to the stomach virus and he had been the worst. The toddler had gotten himself so worked up over his fear of the impending illness that he added a painful headache to the fever, aches, and nausea that had affected the others. His blue eyes had been tearing up almost constantly in the last twenty-four hours and he had even managed to scream himself hoarse during the worst of his crying bouts.  
She had been ready to fall to her knees and praise the heavens when he had finally shown signs of being hungry an hour ago. “Auntie Em? My tummy hurts.” “Do you need to throw up again, buddy?” “No.” “Oh. Well, um, do you wanna try some juice?” “Okay.” He had managed to keep down half a glass of apple juice and was now working on the other half while nibbling at the small scoop of macaroni and cheese on his plate. 

She threw the handful of cheesy pasta next to the pile of dirty dishes in the sink and glanced towards the table at her sister’s beautiful children. It had been a rough week so far, but they were alive, had all their limbs intact, and were eating so she considered it a success.


	2. Recovery

It took three stories to get Marie and Mary to settle down, but all three boys had passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillow. She was hoping that tonight she would be able to sleep without interruption and tomorrow she could wake up ready to juggle five unpredictable children through a day of baseball and piano practice, a toddler art class, and a teen karate class in the evening.  
Unfortunately, the sickness now seemed determined to finish out its round through the house by taking Ron and herself down. She spent most of the night lying on the floor of the ensuite while Ron took over the hall bathroom. They had tried to share at first to keep from waking the kids, but it had gotten too messy.  
She startled awake when the bathroom door banged open and the faucet turned on. “Auntie? Are you awake?” She peeled one eye open to see a mop of curly blonde hair hanging upside down and a small hand holding a plastic cup full of water. She slowly righted herself, giving her stomach time to revolt while she was still level with the toilet, and then gripped the counter while reassuring Marie that she was indeed awake and no, she wasn’t hungry, but thank you for the water. She followed her niece out of the bedroom and instructed her to go sit at the table while she checked on Uncle Ron.  
After she put her husband to bed she headed to the kitchen. She managed to pour three bowls of cereal and toast four slices of bread while one hand rested lightly on her stomach. She popped a few Ibuprofen for her headache and informed Jay and Eric that they would have to butter their toast themselves while she rested on the couch for a little while.  
She could hear the distant chatter from her spot on the sofa and it didn’t seem like anyone was currently trying to murder their sibling so she decided to close her eyes for just a minute. When she opened her eyes a while later and stretched, she bumped into a small lump located on the sofa next to her. The small lump was moving and it sounded like it was meowing. That was a little odd since they didn’t own a cat. She adjusted her position so she could peek under the blanket and was met with blue eyes. She sat up and Jacob crawled out and curled up on her lap. She stroked her fingers through his hair while she assessed how she was feeling. The car ride wasn’t going to be fun, but other than a bit of lingering dizziness, probably brought on by dehydration, she was pretty much back to normal. She had no idea what time it was and she was a little concerned by the lack of children in her vicinity. Jacob informed her that Ron had taken the older twins to baseball and Mary to piano lessons. When she inquired about her youngest niece’s whereabouts, he squinted at her and stated: “she rode in the truck with Uncle Ron, duh”.  
She spent the afternoon listening to a child-friendly audiobook while painting. “Whiskers” remained at her feet until she ventured into the kitchen to refill her chamomile tea. At that point, he scratched at the freezer drawer until a cherry popsicle was dug out, opened, and handed to him. She barely managed to get the paper towel underneath when he laid it on the floor in the living room. She loved her nephew, but if he stained her tan carpet with red popsicle juice she might just scream. After avoiding disaster she texted Ron to request he stop by McDonald’s for dinner. She thought about ordering pizza, it was easy to personalize and quick to arrive, but nixed the idea when she imagined still-tender tummies fighting with acidic tomato sauce. She finished her painting and couldn’t help but smile at the four-year-old who was determined not to use his hands while eating his popsicle.  
Dinner was met with enthusiasm as they piled into the car to take Eric to karate. The girls each got chicken nuggets, with barbeque for Marie and honey mustard for Mary. They chose french fries to go with the nuggets and ended up swapping toys when Marie got My Little Pony and Mary got Finding Nemo. “Whiskers” couldn’t find anything cat-friendly on the menu so Jacob got a plain hamburger and apples. Her older nephews wanted spicy chicken sandwiches, but thankfully she was able to convince them to opt for the chicken strips with a side of fries instead. She hoped that grease would be easier on their recovering stomachs than chipotle seasoning. She ordered a plain hamburger, which turned out to be a plain cheeseburger and Ron chose a fish sandwich. They shared a Sprite, the boys got bottles of water, and the younger children each chose chocolate or white milk.  
They sat in the “audience” while Eric practiced chops and kicks. She was filled with unexpected pride as he executed most of them perfectly. The teacher was even impressed by his progress. The children were in awe when he got flipped onto his back by a girl with black braids. One minute he was standing, the next her nephew was flung through the air and onto the mat by a girl at least a foot shorter than him. Emily watched anxiously as he accepted the girl’s hand and slowly got to his feet. Eric swayed for a moment, lost all color in his face, and ran for the hallway. She told Ron to manage the kids and went after him. She found her oldest nephew leaning against the wall with one hand on his knee and the other on his stomach. She approached cautiously in case his chicken strips were about to make a reappearance, but after waiting a few minutes she started rubbing his back. “You okay, kiddo?” “Yeah. Just got a bit dizzy and then I felt kind of sick.” “I saw you go pale. The flip?” “Yeah, probably. I was kind of light-headed and was actually going to take a break when Lea jumped me.” They waited a few more minutes to make sure the dizzy spell was over. Just as they began to head back inside two small blonde heads bounced through the doorway and ran toward them followed by a concerned-looking Jay and Ron, who was holding a sleeping toddler against his chest.  
They piled back into the car and she smiled when she heard a whispered conversation between the brothers. “You good?” “Yeah, I’m good.” Short and simple, she watched as they leaned into each other and Eric laid his head on his twin’s shoulder. One more day. She had one more day to enjoy the idiosyncrasies of the children and then the next morning they would be taken away.  
It wasn’t like she would never see them again. They lived about two hours away, but Eric and his dad made the drive each week for his karate class and her sister worked at a school about halfway between them. She could offer to meet Kenna for lunch or even meet up with the guys and watch Eric perfect his skills. It was just that she and Ron were busy with meetings and dinners while the kids and Kenna were occupied with school and activities. She had an aversion to messes and three toddlers don’t coincide with cleanliness and order. The twin boys would be more likely to follow the rules, but she didn’t know what to talk about with them. You can only ask about school and sports so many times before you run into the same answers. So instead she kept her distance. She was “Auntie” “Aunt Em” or “Aunt Emily” twice a year for Christmas and Thanksgiving. She was the aunt who sent birthday cards with money tucked inside or little trinkets for the younger ones. It had been years since she actually babysat any of her nieces or nephews, but this week made her realize that maybe, just maybe, she missed it.


	3. Goodbye

The last day was spent packing backpacks, gathering toys, and snuggling on the couch. Somehow they arranged it so that everyone, including Harold, could enjoy the Disney marathon in the living room. Emily was squished between Eric and Jay on her left, Ron with Marie on her right, and Mary firmly planted on her lap. Jacob was tucked between his older brothers and Harold’s bowl was sitting on the end table near Marie. They had three blankets and multiple pillows so everyone would be comfy with minimal sharing. They finished the girls’ pick, The Little Mermaid, and moved on to Jacob’s. It took him almost forty-five minutes to decide between The Sword in the Stone and The Jungle Book, but in the end, Baloo won over Merlin.   
She looked over at her husband as the monkeys danced and sang and smiled. Ron was bouncing Marie in time with the music while she giggled. His big hands holding onto her purple overalls as they sang along with the movie. They had never really talked about having kids since his job demanded so much out-of-state negotiating, and sticky fingers and “terrible twos” never appealed to her. But seeing him with a little girl in his lap was enticing. It made him look...brighter, happier. He didn’t look as stressed as normal and she knew for a fact that even though it had been a rough start with the flu and a challenge with the busy schedules, she couldn’t remember the last time she had as much fun as she had with the children this week.   
After a quick lunch break of ham and cheese sandwiches, they were back on the couch to finish up Brave before Kenna and David arrived to gather the kids. Maybe this time she would visit before the holidays. Mary had been rambling on about a recital coming up next month and Jay had a soccer game every weekend. It might be nice to go to one of their events instead of boring board meetings and elegant galas for the foundation. They would be so surprised if she showed up, not to mention her sister’s shock. Kenna never mentioned how little Emily visited or spent time with the children, but she knew that it saddened her some. They had always been close growing up, but now it seemed like they lived in different universes.   
She startled when she heard knocking on the door. The girls rushed towards the door but were beat by Ron. She heard the squealing before she saw her sister walk in with her arms full of excited little girls. Jacob wiggled in her lap until she reluctantly released him so he could run to his mother. The twin boys made their way over to their father after grabbing their backpacks off of the floor. Emily sat for a few minutes just watching the reunion. The younger children were clinging to their parents while Ron filled them in on the exciting week they had. He gave her a quick concerned glance so she stood up from the warm couch and made her way over to them.   
After a few polite inquiries about their trip, jackets and bags were gathered and hugs were exchanged. She may have held on a little longer than she did when they arrived, but no one complained. The men ushered the kids outside so the sisters could have a moment alone. “Sounds like you guys had a rough week. I was hoping the flu would pass them over, but I guess not. But, according to Ron and the kiddos you did a great job, Em.” “Yeah, well I had to make do. Didn’t really have another option.” “Right. Well, um, thanks again for watching them. I hate burdening you last minute.” “They’re not a burden, Kenna. It was nice to see them. Really.” She ignored the suspicion in her sister’s eyes and pulled her in for a hug. Kenna stepped back after a few moments of being smothered and peered at her face. “You okay, Em?” She smiled and nodded. Her sister’s concern wasn’t unexpected, but it still stung. Emily never was warm and fuzzy growing up and she rarely showed physical affection. Kenna opened her mouth to say something else, but Emily cut her off. “I really did enjoy having them, Ken. It was...nice.You know, I thought, maybe...well, maybe I could come to Mary’s recital next month? You know, if I get off early enough and we don’t have anything else that night…” Kenna’s eyes lit up and she smiled. “Of course, Em. She would love that. And I’m sure the other kids would be happy to see you as well. You’re welcome anytime.”  
She gave Kenna a quick nod and then wrapped her up in her arms one last time before she stepped outside. Ron joined her on the porch and they watched as the van pulled out of the driveway. She smiled when she saw seven hands waving goodbye as they drove away. As she and Ron walked back into the house, they were met with an almost eerie silence. For the last week, it had been filled with giggling, singing, sniffling, coughing, and even meowing. There was barely any evidence that the children had been there. All the bowls, blankets, stuffed animals, and toys were gone or put away. Instead of feeling comforted by the sight of her clean house, it simply felt empty. Ron walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. “You okay?” “Yeah, I just…” “I miss them too, Em.” He kissed her head and then left for the kitchen to start dinner. She took one last long look at her clean living room and couldn’t help the whispered thought in her head. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t stay that way for long.


End file.
